Four Reasons for Praying

You do not have because you do not ask.

–James 4:2

Why do we need to have a praying heart? Today we will see four biblical reasons for praying.

First, prayer develops our intimacy with God. Occasionally people tell me, “Pastor, I feel so distant from God. I’m not even sure I believe God exists anymore.” So I ask about their prayer life and Bible reading routine. If they’re honest, they admit that it’s been months, if not years, since they’ve talked to God or spent time in His Word.

How long could you keep up a friendship with somebody you don’t communicate with? When communication stops, the friendship eventually expires. It’s the same way in our relationship with God. Prayer is vital for keeping our relationship with God vibrant and alive.

Second, prayer unleashes the power of God. Let’s be honest: Intimacy with God is a nice byproduct of prayer, but the main reason we pray is that we want God to do something for us. And there’s nothing wrong with that. James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask.” Now, there’s no blanket guarantee that God is going to do what we ask. In 1 John 5:14, we find this condition: “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” God’s answer to our prayers always falls within the boundaries of His perfect will. But the fact that God doesn’t always say yes to our prayers shouldn’t keep us from asking Him. The key is to ask and leave the results to Him.

Third, prayer protects us with the peace of God. In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison. Verse 25 tells us, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God.” The reason Paul and Silas had such peace even in prison was that they were praying and praising God. Supernatural peace was the result of prayer, not the cause. Prayer dispels fear just as light dispels darkness.

Fourth, prayer aligns our will with God’s will. Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Most of us are more interested in getting our will done in heaven than in getting God’s will done on earth. But prayer helps us arrive at the point where we can say, “God, whatever You want is what I want.” And you’ll discover that the longer you pray, the shorter the distance between your will and God’s will.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “Developing a Praying Heart” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2008.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.